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Amount of milk and nipple size of bottle

Hello everyone! My DD is 5 months old and has been in daycare for 1 month from roughly 8:30-12:30 daily. The DCP suggested that I up DD milk per bottle and that I increase the nipple size on the bottle (currently she is on a newborn nipple size). She claims that DD gets frustrated with the bottle. Currently DD nurses at about 6AM, again between 7-7:30 and then gets a 4oz bottle at 10AM and nurses again around 12:45 when I come to pick her up. Once we are home DD nurses on demand which is usually around every 2-3 hours but often includes little snacks before a nap or just because she wants to nurse. When I pick up DD she is often fussy because she is obviously hungry but she doesn't nurse like she is starving, she nurses like normal and often plays while nursing- putting her fingers in her mouth and looking at me, playing with my bra strap or shirt, etc... I don't give bottles at home and no one has ever babysat DD so we don't know if the "frustration" with the bottle is true or not. I don't want to damage my nursing relationship by making the bottle too easy. Is there any reason or need to get a faster flow nipple?

DD will start full time daycare soon but I will be nursing her on my lunch break, 12-1PM. Which I think will help with the DCP concern about more milk in the 10AM bottle because DD won't have to wait quite as long to nurse as she does now but what about the afternoon bottle? Should I increase? I plan to pick her up at 4:30-5PM and we will nurse immediately.

Thanks for your help! I just feel so upset that DCP is suggesting these things and that I don't know for myself if there are issues.

Re: Amount of milk and nipple size of bottle

Hi, mama!

Here's some useful info on bottlefeeding. You can even print that out for your DCP.

I think you are right to be concerned about your DCP asking you to increase milk amount and nipple size. Generally speaking, it's suggested that all breastfed babies stay with a newborn or slow nipple size. That's all my daughter got until she was 12 months old at DCP. The reason is that you want a slower flow so they don't start to expect a faster flow at the breast and then reject the breast. The general rule of thumb is 1-1.5 oz of expressed breastmilk for every hour mom is gone.

My DCP actually told me the same thing. So instead of sending more milk, I sent the same amount in bigger bottles. My DCP provider seemed satisfied that it was "more."

Honestly, it sounds like normal fussiness at that age.

Around the 5 month mark, I think I was sending in 4 bottles or maybe 5. I can't remember. Anyway, I was gone for 8 hours and sent about 10-12 oz a day. I wasn't able to go to DCP and nurse. When my daughter was smaller, I sent more bottles with smaller amounts. She was still on 4 bottles at 12 months. HTH.

Christine
Baby Girl Born 2/17/10 to her two mommies
BF from day one. I looked up one day and realized I'm nursing a toddler!

Re: Amount of milk and nipple size of bottle

Excellent advice from the PP. Just wanted to say, my little guy NEVER got more than 4 oz in a bottle, and continued with newborn nipples for more than a year. He was fine. He had to work a little for the milk, sure, but that's good for a breastfed baby - you don't want to make bottles too appealing!

You can call me JoMo!

Mom to baby boy Joe, born 5/4/09 and breastfed for more than two and a half years, and baby girl Maggie, born 7/9/12.

Re: Amount of milk and nipple size of bottle

Just wanted to say that I agree. I just upped DD's bottles from 3 to 4 ounces (sometimes I put a smidge less than 4 ounces), and now she can go 3 hours on 4 ounces, which seems appropriate to me. I use the AVENT bottles with the newborn (size 1) nipple. I'm sure she wouldn't mind a faster flowing nipple, but as PP said, it doesn't hurt her to work for it a little.